This invention relates generally to armored or otherwise protected objects and more particularly to inflatable boats or other vehicles or objects with anti-ballistic panels or other shields that are inflatable for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,217 to Ferronniere (xe2x80x9cthe Ferronniere patentxe2x80x9d), incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, details aspects of exemplary pneumatic, or inflatable, boats. As described in the Ferronniere patent, versions of these boats may include one or more inflatable tubes forming a bow and generally parallel legs between which a rigid floor may be located. Each leg may comprise both an upper and a lower compartment, to which a lateral canvas may be fixed tangentially.
Among purposes of the boats of the Ferronniere patent is to carry xe2x80x9clarge useful loads in a lifted-off configuration, i.e. at high speed and with optimum efficiency.xe2x80x9d See Ferronniere, col. 2, 11. 44-46. These boats are especially (although not exclusively) suited for military and law-enforcement operations, in which substantial numbers of persons and gear often must be transported rapidly across water. Indeed, one boat made consistent with the principles of the Ferronniere patent, Zodiac""s F470 watercraft, is among the most popular boats in use worldwide by military and law-enforcement personnel.
Because popularly used in this manner, these boats are likely to encounter hazards and situations dangerous to both their crews and structural integrity. In particular, bullets or other projectiles may be fired or launched at the boats and their crews by those opposing the objectives of the crews. Should the projectiles strike the crew members, injuries or deaths may occur. Should the projectiles puncture the inflatable tubes, loss of buoyancy may occur, which may impede proper functioning of the boats or, potentially, sink them.
The present invention attempts to ameliorate adverse effects associated with these hazardous operations by providing armored protective panels principally, but not exclusively, for inflatable boats. When deployed, the panels are designed to impede progress of at least some bullets or other projectiles, reducing the likelihood of their impacting either personnel within the boats or the boats themselves. Although use of the panels provides no guarantee of safety, their existence may render some situations less hazardous and improve the possibility of successful missions occurring.
Protective panels of the present invention additionally may themselves be inflatable. As a consequence, they need not always be deployed. Instead, they may remain deflated until needed, hence not normally hindering navigation or performance of the boats. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the invention the panels need not all be inflated simultaneously, hence permitting deployment of only selected panels when desired.
By choosing relatively flexible anti-ballistic materials, panels of the invention may be designed to fold or otherwise collapse into rolls when not inflated. The rolls may be fastened to the tubes (or other suitable portions) of their corresponding watercraft, using straps or other appropriate fasteners, so as to secure them in place for subsequent use. Positioning the panels in this manner maintains the general aerodynamic and hydrodynamic profiles of the boat, so that presence of the undeployed panels typically does not significantly impact navigation or speed. Likewise, even when deployed, the panels are designed so as not to impact maneuverability or speed of most vehicles appreciably.
The anti-ballistic materials may be incorporated into the panels or positioned wholly or partially within pockets formed, preferably, on exterior surfaces of the panels. If such pockets are utilized, the materials could be made to be removable and replaceable if desired. Additionally, rigid anti-ballistic materials (such as ceramic plates) could be placed in the pockets in addition, or as an alternative, to the flexible materials, although doing so might inhibit the rollable (although not necessarily the foldable) nature of the panels. Yet further, radar-absorbing (xe2x80x9cstealthxe2x80x9d) or other energy-absorbing or non-anti-ballistic materials could be placed in the pockets (or incorporated into the panels) if appropriate or desired. As a result, the invention includes as among its features the ability to support, using inflatable components, various types of materials to provide objects with myriad kinds of protection.
It thus is a non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide protective materials for stationary or mobile objects including, but not limited to, boats.
It is another non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide armored protective panels for, particularly, inflatable boats.
It is a further non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide protective panels that may be inflated for deployment.
It is also a non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide protective panels that may collapse into rolls or folds when not deployed.
It is yet another non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide multiple protective panels inflatable separately if desired.